Bench Tales

[BigGreen]

Hi all...just trying to gauge my realistic chances of hitting certain goals in the bench press one day. I just read rage22's post (congrats by the way) and noted that he was pressing 365 in f'n high school! Now, i realize full well (take dennis rodman and scottie pippen, for example) that people mature at vastly different stages...hell, i went to high school with a kid who was getting beat up by freshman when he was a junior and now he's in the NFL...but, to get to my point, is it at all different for powerlifting? Soooo many of the articles and testimonials I read make it seem as though naturally strong people start in the high 200's or low 300's and go from there. I still remember the day I put up 135 for the first time - it was the day after my birthday and my goal had been to hit it before my b-day. BTW, we're talking about my 18th birthday here if i'm recalling the date correctly as i believe i am. Now, i've busted my ass to the point where i muscled up 315 in the past (had dipped slightly below that as a max as of last test in late fall) and am in my first round of westside style training, which i'm really enjoying...so i hope to see it pop up.

However, while i have no illusions of being elite, I would like to see a bench well into the respectable 400's some day. I'm assuming this is not only possible, but neutrally realistic as well...any validity to that? Any stories about those guys and gals who've made huge jumps from their initial strength?

[painintheazz]

When you make note of the westside style training, are you talking about the westside powerlifter guys in the NorthHampton area of Mass??

[This Is Bench Day]

I think anyone who's willing to do the required learning, training, and eating, can get a 400 lbs benchpress, barring injury. It's just a matter of staying at it, finding your weaknesses, and eliminating them. Now it may take much longer for some than others, especially for drugfree lifters. But I still believe it can be done by anybody who wants it enough. I'm at 315 right now and still slowly climbing.

If you want success stories, PL boards are full of them. Most of us started at 135, not 225 like some of the greatest in the world do.

[saboudian]

i'm a bodybuilder and haven't done any real powerlifting ever but in the 7th grade i started my bench at 45lbs for i think around maybe 6-8 reps.
Well now i'm a freshman in college and i used to go heavy on bench every week and a few months ago i hit 245x6 before i started going more towards a bodybuilding style bench press.

I agree with "This is Bench Day", i think that as long as u continue to strive toward a goal and do all your homework u can acheive it. I just try not to blame anything on genetics, instead of looking at guys who are so damn genetically gifted that they just pick up anything and grow no matter what they do or how shitty their nutrition and training is. I just worry about the things i can change like nutrition and training, u can't change genetics so don't worry about them. And don't get yourself saying that every time u reach a plateau and say "well this is it, this is my genetic potential" and just stop trying. I think that genetics is an unfair advantage/disadvantage when it comes to any sport but don't let it bother u cuz like i said u just can't change it. Sometimes its hard to beleive in the myth "If u give it your all then u'll always win" but u have to give yourself the chance mentally before u fail in your head and actually try it.

So just keep pumpin away and remember what your goals were and go get em.

[powerlifterjay]

I cant really say wheni started. I mean i got a bench and weights when i was 13yr old. But never really messed with it too much. I got rid of it and when i went to the gym in school for the first time i was 16yrs old and benched 185lbs. With in 1 month i did 225. Before i was 17 i hit 265lbs. By 19 or so i was hittin 365. But i didnt knwo a thing about training. I could have been way stronger if i would have known what i knwo now. My training partner is 20 now as of Dec but he hit 518 bench in comp after squatting 810 at 19yr old and 240lbs. Hell i messed around and hit 425 at 21 or so at 200lbs. All raw. Teen myth (my partner) would have blown me away. But i thought i was pretty good. But he knows how to train i didnt. IT took me till i as 25 ro so to go over 500 and 27 to go over 600. And didnt really decide to educate myself on trainig till i was about 25. I just lifted for the hell of it. Built a good base though for my future in powerlifting that was yet to come.

I dont think its a matter of genetics or maturity. If yoru in to sports more so then others when you were young your body is accustomed to using its muscles better, faster, and stronger then someone who didnt stay too active in there youth then decide to train there ass off as an adult. There just a little behind, but hard work and time in the gym and there right there with everyone else plus some.